Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind (A Victorian Mystery)

by Emily Brightwell

Book Overview

The eccentric Olive Kettering swore someone was trying to harm her. Too bad no one listened, though plenty wanted her dead. When Olive is shot and killed, Mrs. Jeffries has no problem speaking her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425235246
• Release Date: June 2010
• Publisher: Berkley
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Riotous Fun Amid a Mystery in Victorian London

Are you a Miss Marple fan? Do the Snoop sisters' adventures ring your chimes? Then you're in for a treat with Mrs. Jeffries. She and the other servants at Inspector Witherspoon's house run rings around the other detectives on the force in the search for the killers of poor Miss Olive. True to form seen in other volumes of this British mysteries by Brightwell, the mainstay characters show a few new talents and quirks as they run afoul of the villains as well as some among the "law" who believe servants should be seen and not heard. Mrs. Jeffries is not one to keep silent, not when she has information that will solve the case. A good addition to the series.

Another delight Mrs. Jeffries who-done-it

Love the characters. So much fun interacting with all the household help and how they go about helping the inspector solve the murders. It's always fun to see how each one develops their clues and then comes together over tea and crumpets to report each ones findings. Its just a fun series and I feel and what I look for when I want to take the time to just read a good cozy, get lost in the plot and charactes and not have to think too much. I've read most of them and would certainly recommend this series to anyone who likes mystery cozies, especially British ones.

Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind

I love the Mrs. Jeffries and the Inspector series. This one was as excellent as all the others. I wish I could get the ones from 1994-2000. I didn't discover this series until after those were out of print. While reading, I become part of the household family.

Another great Mrs. Jeffries Mystery

Olive Kettering was not a very nice person and had very few friends, so no one is particularly surprised when she is murdered during a nasty storm. It is up to Inspector Gerald Witherspoon and Constable Barnes to find her killer and they have plenty of suspects to deal with. But Witherspoon has a lot of help with this case, even if he doesn't know it - his household staff, led by housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries, are working behind the scenes to make sure he catches the killer. "Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind" is the 27th book in Emily Brightwell's engaging mystery series set in Victorian England, a series that never disappoints. Despite there being so many books in the series it never gets stale, with the characters growing stronger in each book. In this particular book it is maid Betsy who takes center stage as she is happily married to Smythe but adjusting to not living with the rest of the servants and afraid she will be replaced by newcomer Phyllis. This storyline is an example of what makes this series so strong - the characters. They think of each other as family (which is especially evident in this book. I had wondered how Brightwell would handle the series now that Betsy and Smythe are married and she does an excellent job. As for the mystery elements, like all the other books in the series they are well done and the mystery is well plotted with plenty of suspects and some good motives. The fun in this series is watching both Witherspoon and his staff tried to solve the case and finding clues, as they do, and trying to figure out the solution before Mrs. Jeffries does. Astute readers will pick up some clues that Brightwell scatters throughout the book but it may still come as a bit of a surprise when the killer is revealed. The ending is action packed and danger filled and will keep readers at the edge of their seats for a few pages. "Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind" is another great cozy mystery by Emily Brightwell.

excellent historical cozy

In Victorian London, wealthy spinster Olive Kettering hears footsteps and tries to flee to safety, but knows someone is following her. She gets out of her mansion and runs to a person she is happy to see only that individual shoots her in the head. Inspector Witherspoon, who has a 100% homicide clearance rate thanks to his servants secretly assisting him, leads the inquiry. He learns no one liked Olive, not her peers or servants whom she treated like vermin. She was also estranged from her blood relatives, Dorien who refused to get married and Patricia of whom Olive disapproved of the man she married. Olive was involved with the Society of the Humble Servant led by Reverend Samuel Richards. The victim rejected the concept he was a con artist as she believed in a vengeful god like he preaches. All the suspects offer viable alibis, but some lied. Using the information Witherspoon unknowingly gives her, the housekeeper Mrs. Jeffries and her team is determined to find the killer for their boss, not aware of the danger this endeavor provides. Every Mrs. Jefferies historical cozy is a special unique treat as the recurring characters change and grow, and this time a new member to the household joins the crew and Betsy provides a surprising revelation. The whodunit is straightforward fun with Mrs. Jefferies and the rest of the servants finding clues and Mrs. Jeffries feeding them to her employer with him remaining clueless to what she is doing. The sleuthing cast makes for a wonderful Victorian mystery. Harriet Klausner